Remembering to Breathe
by DenizenofTwilight
Summary: Soul and Maka had been having a light and funny conversation outside of the DWMA, while they prepared to go skiing. However, as Maka's expectations for herself have become much too high, it doesn't take much for her to begin to unravel. Ending up having a heart-to-heart with her father and Partner both, Maka is reminded of why one must take the time to breathe and truly live. SoMa.


**Author's Note: This fic completely disregards the SE manga (as I haven't read it), so if that bothers you, I would recommend turning back now. For those who are still with me, though, just imagine this as a continuation of the anime. =) Hope you all will enjoy!**

**-Shan**

**Remembering to Breathe**

It was a beautiful day outside Death City: it was just starting to break into nightfall, so the moon was just only beginning to peak out. However, since it was still partly day, the sun hadn't been completely blotted out, either. To that end, instead of one illuminator sticking out over the other, they seemed to be in some strange overlay that no one could completely see through.

Though Maka supposed she could see the moon beginning to engulf the sun if she looked closely enough, she instead decided to keep a keen eye on her book instead, and put the thought of violence aside for the day. After having just finished fighting the Kishin Asura, she didn't want to think about fighting the Moon's soul (or something), thank you very much.

Sitting leisurely on the walkway where Kid had first walked into the DWMA what seemed like a lifetime ago, Maka found herself smirking at the idea of the character in her book wearing the same sort of pink ski suit she currently was: the suit she'd worn when Soul had successfully synchronized everyone's souls for the first time.

Smirking to herself at the hilarity of it all, as she opted to put her two pigtails into one, Maka had to wonder what the odds were that she and "Isa" would both like the same sort of snow clothes. If Isa was lucky, though, she wouldn't come out with puncture wounds adorning her outfit when all was said and done… and if she did, well, Maka supposed she would respect her all the more, but…

"How you can find such enjoyment with your nose in a book is beyond me. And you're holding that book all wrong, Maka. So uncool. Hold it _away_ from you. Jesus, Maka. Don't you know you're squishing the little breasts you _do_-"

Resisting the urge to hit Soul with one of her infamous "Maka Chops", the blond instead opted to hold her book out in front of her, like Soul had suggested, and the minute a mosquito landed on her book: BAM! Stealing Soul's textbook out of her hands, Maka very capably raised her own bug-infested-book up to smash against the elevated book of Soul's.

Smiling at Soul much too kindly then, the Meister had to wonder what Soul would think of _that_. Either he'd realize what Maka did to those she considered pests, or he'd see why he should've never showed Maka a way she could turn her book into a weapon. Or… If none of those, Maka expected Soul to most likely be as oblivious to her threat, as he'd been at being Black Star's Weapon. She certainly didn't expect him to get _both_ things belying her words, but-.

Rolling her eyes at her Weapon Partner, as he seemed to be eying Maka's vacation outfit more than anything else, Maka very much expected Soul to muck everything up, but just when she'd thought he was about to say something stupid, or oblivious, as "You killed a mosquito in an outfit you once used to fight Mosquito", he instead said: "Shit, Maka. What are you thinkin' throwing the mosquito on one of those pillars? Don't you know Kid's going to kill himself when he sees one spike had a bug, and the other's don't?"

Though Maka at first wanted to yell at Soul for missing what she'd been trying to demonstrate to him (seriously! He was as bad as her creepy old dad), and tell him that he was being an ass for exaggerating Kid's condition, she found she'd much rather relax under the red spike's shade, instead of stressing about it. Also, as stupid as it was to think—Maka found herself wondering if… if maybe his reference to the red beams had to do with her book. Was there a chance he'd read Russet-

But of course there was no way Soul would read that, right? Soul didn't even read. As her tie suddenly felt much too tight around her neck, Maka told herself she was being stupid. It was just the heat (partly due to her suit) getting to her, and… "Hey, Soul. If we're going skiing, why aren't you dressed accordingly? And why did you take that book from Professor Stein? It's not like you to do homework."

Leaning against one of the doors to the classrooms as if he was (god forbid) eager for learning, Maka was almost surprised his headband didn't slide right off… or that he didn't break his back at that angle. Jeez! There should have been a limit to how far one could slouch, Maka found herself thinking, before her thoughts drifted to how and why he couldn't recline that much in his _Weapon_ form.

Also, there probably should have been a limit to how much one put their hands in their pockets, too. If he knocked his already-too-loose-pants down any further- "Pfft. Have you never heard of looking unkempt, Maka? You should, you know. Especially seeing as how there are times in our apartment where I don't wash my hair. After a time, it pretty much washes itself, you see? And don't be stupid, Maka. I'm going to skateboard on this damned book and stick it to Stein, ya know?"

Not even giving Soul's earlier words the proper thought she knew she should have, Maka instead focused on the true horror of Soul's words. Oh, god. Did he just really- Of course there had been many moments when Maka had thought Soul was pushing the proverbial envelope when it came to hygiene. There were also times that Blair complained about Soul's smell or something or the other, but even with all of that, and some of Soul's words in the past, even, Maka had... well, she'd found reason to try and believe dust _didn't_ contribute to Soul's hair color, but now...

"Oh, god," Maka muttered, as she unconsciously pulled her recently styled ponytail over her shoulder, and played with some of the strands in it. "Soul, please don't tell me the black roots I see in my hair is actually lice I GOT FROM YOU. If you've given me something Spirit once complained about in my mom's hair, I'll-"

In truth, Maka wasn't sure _what _she'd do, but as she looked at the intent, and unmoving red stare Soul was giving her, Maka thought very hard about making his hair just as red, via a Maka Chop to his head. Maybe then he'd have to wash his-

"So you know what _your_ hair reminds me of?" Soul asked, as he seemed to effectively ignore Maka, and had opened the textbook Maka had previously stolen from him, so he could find his old hat and put it on (how and why Soul had put his old accessory in his book, Maka had no idea. But if the way the book wouldn't stay closed wasn't enough of "f you" to Stein at the end of the year, the hat—and disgusting!—hair left behind from it would be).

"No, Soul. I can't imagine what my hair reminds you of," Maka said, as she thought she needed to get away from the icky Soul as fast as she could, and maybe get a new Weapon Partner. And had he- had he decided to take off his disgusting headband to put his cap on for whatever reason? Not wanting to reach down and touch where Soul had dropped it on the pavement, but knowing she had to do her civic duty as a student of the Academy, Maka reached down and plucked Soul's headband off the floor.

She could- oh crap! Were those lice, ticks, or ants crawling all over the hair accessory? Could it have been all three? Or worse: were they fleas? Yes, burning the thing seemed like a wonderful idea to Maka. She'd just turn one of the Thompson sisters into their Weapon form, and fire at the damned-

"Those cool clay dolls, where you could put play-dough in a compartment, and squeeze it down to make the girl 'grow hair'.

Even with how grossed out Maka was about Soul's uncleanliness, she wondered how she could have missed the massive detour Soul was taking in their conversation. Ugh. Men! They were supposed to be getting Soul into a healthier lifestyle, and as Maka glared at Soul with daggers for eyes, and he looked a little _too_ innocent, she knew he realized it, too. And now he was insulting her, and messing up her calm before her trip? The humanity!

"You just compared my hair to fat, deformed spaghetti. Thanks a bunch, Soul. Though I suppose it's better than what you've done to your own hair... you've at least been brushing your teeth, right? No termite braces for you, Mr. Washington. That's the last thing we need."

There was a bout of weird silence, where Maka almost had to fear Soul had taken her teasing words too much to heart. Clutching her gloved hands together over her heart, as she tried to hold back the beginning of regret fueled tears, it took Maka a moment to realize Soul wasn't exactly smiling, but… perhaps he was beginning to grin?

Standing on her tiptoes so she could see Soul just that much better, Maka pretended she was nodding her head at her own words, but really… she was trying to decipher if she'd just caught Soul off guard with her own coolness. Laughing slightly at the possibility of such a thing, Maka almost felt as though she was planning something devious, what with the way she was rubbing her hands together in such a way. But it was nice… it was just so nice to realize even with all that separated her and Soul from each other, they could still relate to each other in some ways.

"Hey, Maka-" Soul ventured, as he stood further away from the door, and extended his hand towards her.

Moving backwards in shock, not unlike when Soul had done so when Maka had clutched at him after the Crona incident, the Weapon Meister was suddenly hit with the realization that what Soul was about to say would change things between them forever. And though Maka wanted to clench her fists, and yell at Soul for trying to alter things, she also found her breath hitching, and her heart moving to the beat of his own.

It was unlike, even, when they did Soul Resonance. It was something different, something foreign. And much like the girl with appendicitis had reached for her boyfriend in the story Maka had been reading, she too reached for Soul. In the back of her mind, Maka knew... knew that the day and beautiful scenery around them was one perfect for the ultimatums they were about to undergo.

"What are you two doing out here? Shouldn't we have already met Spirit for the trip?"

To say that Maka almost fell over in shock at the sudden inclusion of Death the Kid in front of her would have been an understatement. Looking at Kid accusingly (out of the corner of her eye, Maka also noted that Soul had become strangely still), Maka half-expected him to have been pushed into their moment or something. Seriously. Where was his natural grace and good timing now? Maka didn't know what she and Soul had been about to relate to each other, but…

Well, if nothing else, Maka thought, as she took Soul's hat out of his hand and kicked at it for the hell of it, at least he'd kept The-Much-Too-Eager-Patty from disturbing their moment. In fact, Kid was currently holding back the blond girl, who all but seemed to be bursting at the seams. Yeah… it was nothing like what she and Soul had been about to endure. Nothing at all… and now it would never happen, would it?

In a way, Maka almost wished Patty _had_ said something presumptuous, so she and Soul would have been forced to push the issue with each other, but now… now Maka knew her and Soul's roles with each other would continue to be ones who shouldn't have co-existed, but did so on the blade's edge, anyway. They'd never topple one way or the other, Maka knew. And as she frowned whilst hiding her face behind her hair, she mourned the fact.

…

"Maka- Maka, honey, you have to stop!"

Pausing from where she'd been hitting a punching bag in an attempt to mangle her heart instead, it took Maka a moment to realize just how much her knuckles were bruised and bloodied. What was mostly in the forefront of her mind, though: was that she'd just called Spirit "papa" again. And for once…for once Maka didn't regret it. She didn't regret it at all. It hurt too much too care about things more than she already was.

"Thanks for stopping me," Maka said to her father, as she not so quite met his eyes. Pulling away from his far too comforting arms, and standing ramrod straight and tense, to keep up a distance again, Maka bowed to her father, and continued with a wry smile, "If I'd kept up that pounding, Blair might have thought to change into and out of her cat form to the beat. We don't really need Soul to have any more nose bleeds, do we?"

A dagger to her heart. That's what it was when Maka thought about Soul's reactions to Blair. He'd never been that way with her, had he? And Maka knew he never would. It would change everything if he was, and as a Partner who was supposed to bring the best out of her companion, it hurt to know there was a part of Soul she could never reach. Deep down, Maka knew she was kidding herself. That everything was hurting her because she was in love with Soul, but- but…

"This isn't about you trying to master your Weapon Form, I'm guessing," Death Scythe said quietly, calmly, in a tone Maka had scarcely heard from him before, but it was also a tone she used little enough herself, except with maybe Crona. Her true self was buried deep within walls she herself had created, and Maka was now just beginning to see it must have been the same for her father, too. Maybe not in the way she'd masqueraded herself, however, but still the same.

As he took off the bag that had been dangling on her wall, Maka noted Spirit eye it with a strange mixture of respect, and also resentment? Then, faster than Maka's eyes could even follow, he through it out her open window, and it… and it hurtled further than Maka had ever seen anything thrown in her life. So then…

Being unable to turn away from her papa, as he pulled her into his arms once again, Maka knew he'd be saying something completely wrong any minute now (like he always did), and would effectively ruin the moment. Maybe he'd mention something about the ski trip they'd gone on- or… or maybe for once, he'd be absolutely perfect, and not say anything and just hold her. As a lone tear of Maka's fell down her cheek to land on Spirit's shoulder, it would be much later that she'd realize a tear of his had joined their union, too.

I'm worried about everything, I guess," Maka said in a voice that seemed to come from a completely different person, and yet also her innermost self. Her words came out in whispers, forced. She didn't want to speak, she knew. But she really needed to let go of all of this weight, didn't she? With that mindset, Maka began to:

"I think I've cut myself thin. I try too hard and wear myself ragged, as if I'm a Weapon, too. But that means I'm never going to be successful, doesn't it? It's not the Jack-Of-All-Trades who are capable in life, but rather those who excel in one way. After seeing Soul fight the Kishin, I know he'll be more than okay, but I'm afraid I can't be the Meister he needs me to be. I mean, why else would I have only won the battle with my drive? I'm such a joke."

Maka had forgotten… she'd forgotten how she hadn't changed her hairstyle since that day she'd talked to Soul last. It would have been funny to her, if anything were capable of being humorous to her in her current state. So why, then, was it the most healing thing she'd ever gone through, when her father picked up her weird hair, and kissed the crease that dissected the middle of her ponytails?

"I think," Spirit muttered, as he took to rubbing circles on Maka's back, as she choked back tears, "I think that's exactly why you're you, Maka. It's why you'll surpass me, your mother, everyone. Soul's lucky to have you, so don't let your fears and what-ifs get in the way of _now_. We're our own worst critics, you know… well, besides maybe Stein. Knowing him, he'd dissect us open when we die, and even then insult our lifestyle or something."

Laughing despite herself at her father's lame joke, and attempt to make her feel better, Maka had to admit he was probably right. It really was all about taking one day at a time and trying her best, wasn't it? And who knew? Maybe she'd even outdo Black Star and god! It was a wonderful future her dad was painting for her, Maka knew. And it was then she understood she hadn't given him nearly enough credit for trying to look out for, and shape her, in the best way that he could.

Leaning closer to her dad then, Maka did two things she'd thought she never would again. First, she kissed his cheek, and didn't even think about what other woman—who wasn't her mom—had done so. But most importantly, she said, "Thank you".

With her father watching proudly, Maka pulled out the other deflated punching bag she had in her desk drawer, and she hurtled it out the window, too.

And though she'd missed her papa's mark by a mile, Maka was done being hung up on such things. So instead of worrying about how she sucked at basketball and baseball both, she remarked, "Did you see how far I got my arm back to throw this time? I'm improving!"

It wasn't lost to Maka how she covered her mouth in shock, and jumped in the air like a little schoolgirl, but she felt… so much lighter and happier now. Maka hadn't completely forgotten the things that plagued her, but she wasn't letting it suffocate her anymore, either. She was breathing and living again. And during it all, Maka had to wonder why she'd ever stopped letting herself have fun in the first place.

"Yes, Maka. You really, truly are."

…

"Maka," Tsubaki said, as she turned her head just so, and let her hair careen down her right shoulder instead of her left one, "You've seemed somewhat off lately. Black Star's commented on it, too. You do seem better now, but if you want to talk, I'd be more than happy to listen. And I'm sure Soul's probably climbing up the walls with worry about you, as well."

It was such a common Tsubaki trope, that Maka wasn't even surprised when her friend closed her eyes, and smiled all the wider at her words. What Maka was amazed at, however, was how Tsubaki had unknowingly adopted a hairstyle to the one she'd just put to rest the other day.

Peering over her shoulder to look at Kid better, Maka also suspected Tsubaki meant to help Lord Death's son with this test. Perhaps if he saw how symmetrical Tsubaki's hair was today, he'd stop looking for asymmetry, and actually do his work? It wasn't like Kid even had to go to the DWMA, but…

"Thank you, Tsubaki," Maka said with a laugh, as Professor Sid turned up the air conditioning, and thus Maka put her hair under her collar, so she'd be less cold… And she'd probably just ruined Tsubaki's plan about giving Kid his precious symmetry, hadn't she? But that was what he got for being even more of a perfectionist than she was! Making a mental note to approach Kid later, Maka vowed she'd teach Kid to not get hung up on the little things in life, either "I just forgot to have fun again, is all. I'm doing a lot better now, though, so thanks a bunch for your efforts!"

As Tsubaki opened her mouth for a second (though only to just close it a moment later), Make knew full well that her friend was meaning to tell her something, but in the end, Tsubaki's intent was never discerned. In the form of Soul suddenly passing out all the tests to their row, Maka knew that her and Tsubaki's conversation had come to the end until after class.

Taking to her examination with gusto, Maka twirled her pencil again and again with perfect ease, as she continuingly aced every question. She was well prepared for the quiz, she knew, as she'd spent the entire previous night staying up and studying for it. She really had known all of this stuff beforehand, though, but hey. If nothing else, it had led to her having a nice conversation with her papa for once, right? Speaking of which, Maka wondered what Soul was doing passing out their finals like this. Since when had he become the class rep-

Oh! She was so stupid, wasn't she? Really, really stupid! So distracted with thoughts of Soul was Maka, that she didn't even notice the small text hidden at the bottom of the class' assignment. Ugh. And she was supposed to be a "prodigy", too! How in the world had she missed the obvious?!

Well, okay. Maka was certain many of the kids in her class, who were less obsessive with these things could have missed it, but for people like her and Tsubaki—who by where her eyes were searching, Maka was certain she'd figured out the direction, too—it was just ridiculous! Idly, Maka wondered if Soul knew about the final instruction. He had handed out the papers, of course, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.

Rubbing her eyes then, in an attempt to completely focus and make sure she had read the font correctly, Maka took a moment to return to the line she was examining. Then, muttering to herself the slightest bit, she knew exactly what she had to do. _"When you are finished, put the test on the desk, and then head to the school's entrance." _

Shrugging nonchalantly, as she stood up and made her way to the teacher's desk, Maka did exactly what was instructed of her. As she crossed the hall that led out to the exit, Maka had to wonder just what kind of teacher would give them another task after finals, but as she finally pushed open the double doors to where the moon seemed to be, once again, engulfing the sun, she soon found out.

"No!" Maka protested, as she looked at the devilishly smiling Soul with his hands in his pockets. "You did not just make me get an Incomplete in Sid's class! And Soul, I'm so confused! How did you even change my paper?" She was so, so stupid! Putting a hand to her forehead almost feeling faint, Maka suddenly understood that hers was the only one that had had that final instruction.

And how in the world had Soul beaten her outside?! Past imagining Soul turning into his thin scythe form and hopping away without anyone noticing, Maka was hit with the sudden realization that Soul had just randomly picked answers, and had rushed the test again! So much for her attempts at tutoring him actually paying off, huh?

"Pfft. So I broke into Sid's office last night, copied one of the tests, and made sure you got the one I altered. It's no big deal. But I needed to talk to you, Maka. And seeing as how you've had a bigger stick up your ass than usual-"

Glaring at Soul (to which, to his credit, immediately made him trail off), Maka was about to give him a piece of her mind, but stopped short when she remembered the conversation she'd had with her dad, and even Tsubaki, earlier. She needed to find her Zen place again or whatever, and really remember to enjoy the finer things in life. She needed slow down and smell the concrete roses, and…. and what Soul had done _was_ slightly sweet, Maka found herself thinking. And she _had_ been making things hard lately, but even so: if Soul made her fail this class just because he couldn't wait to talk to her later, she was going to kick his ass to the sun, so that it could eat him instead of the moon.

Unconsciously leaning against the door Soul had the other day (before things went to hell, anyway), Maka said with a small smile on her face, "I don't really like that last sentence you said, Soul. It's like the asshole behavior I told you to steer clear from around Crona, but I'm glad you care, at least."

Closing her eyes, and grinning a bit as the sun warmed her from the inside out, Maka found it almost humorous that she'd somehow adopted Soul's calm and collected behavior. Their parallels were endless, it seemed, but now it was his turn to squirm a little. Though Maka _had_ come to a better place about things, and didn't resent or regret any of it, she did think it wouldn't be all bad if Soul could understand some of her insecurities. Then again, knowing Soul, he probably wasn't liable to experience it at all.

Scoffing a bit to herself, Maka wondered if this encounter would just end up like the time they'd tried to synchronize with each other. And if Soul's next words were anything to go by, the answer was most likely "yes".

"You're a bitch, Maka." Soul said surprisingly not unkindly, but almost more matter-of-factly, and oddly kindly? Opening one eye, but keeping the other closed, Maka regarded Soul's expression curiously. As he looked down the slightest bit, and to the right, even, Maka surmised he was recalling a memory. And if his face was anything to go by...

Oh god, he looked like a parent who was about to reveal humiliating stories about their child! Swallowing nervously, as she wondered just where this might end up going, Maka found herself unconsciously clutching for Soul's handle the way she did when she was nervous in battle, but of course she couldn't do so now. And the fact she wanted to do so even when Soul seemed about to embarrass her… was just a bit unsettling.

Looking downward then herself, Maka found herself pretending she was holding Soul, despite herself. As awful as her need and connection to him could be at his times, there was no denying Soul was still the person who gave Maka the most comfort. When she held onto him, she had hope for the future and knew somehow, someway, everything would be all right. _Soul_…

"Ack!" Soul exclaimed, as he threw his hands up in the air, and ran over to Maka in a pace faster than she knew he was even capable of. It was silly, really, considering how lithely he moved in his Weapon form, but it was what it was, and such were Maka's frazzled thoughts, as she found herself being sandwiched in Soul's embrace. Holding her so tightly that she couldn't even move her arms, Maka could only look at Soul in shock, and realize that even though he seemed to be trying to comfort her, he seemed just as unhinged as she was.

"All I was going to do was poke fun at your mocking my position last time we were here. After that, I was going to tell you how important you are to me, but then you had to go and act like a baby, didn't you, Maka? Sheesh."

In shock at Soul's mention of "how important she was to him" above everything else, Maka found she couldn't think or feel anything other than astonishment. Likewise, though the tingly sensation of arms being asleep had nothing to do with astonishment, Maka almost wondered if they, too, were acting in response to Soul's unorthodox behavior. In fact, it was so much that Maka was a little more than surprised her equilibrium hadn't been shot to hell, and that she wasn't on the ground in her shock, but then the confidence and completeness she was feeling now wouldn't have occurred, would it have? If she had been on the floor, Soul wouldn't have been able to hold her this way, and-

And so Maka thought very decidedly then that she wouldn't have changed a damn thing about their current moment. No, she wouldn't have changed a thing about anything about them ever. Leaning closer to Soul's neck, and even inhaling the scent of his dirty hair, Maka felt very much renewed, and something else, too. Something that had always been there, but she was now just beginning to understand. Were they- was Soul…

"Look," Soul continued, as he pushed Maka slightly a way from him, and held her face in his hands. "You have to stop that stupid childish crap. Stop crying about everything, Maka. I mean, damn; I know I suck comforting and that crap, but I'm not going to hang it over my head forever, either. And at least I'm trying it, right? You, Maka, are even better than that. You do questionable shit all the time, but somehow it always makes the perfect sense, and we come out better for it. I read-"

_"He'd read-"_ Ignoring for a moment all the things Soul had been saying (and god, was she really crying because of them?!), Maka returned to her thoughts to the last time she'd talked to Soul. She'd been beginning to think, then, that Soul might have read the Twilight fanfiction she had been (as his words, and teasing of her had been too on par), but she now understood with a sudden clarity that it was more than that. His talk about hair... that had been about a Robert Pattinson comment, hadn't it? Oh, god. What other things had he been investigating to know and connect with her better?

Giggling slightly at the silliness and absurdity of it all (though Maka tried quickly to sober up, as not to hint to him her discovery, and embarrass him), Maka found herself thinking about how in their imperfectness as Partners—and maybe even something more—they were perfectly suited for each other. For even with all the things that separated them and divided them, they'd always try to bridge the gap, and come to a better understanding of each other, wouldn't they? They would continue to grow and evolve that way, and as the world was built on that, Maka wondered if her papa and Soul _were_ right about her insecurities. Maybe she _was_ better than she thought, and maybe that _would_ mean something in the future.

Completely ignoring Soul's cute, but out of place, current babbling, Maka took a millisecond to do something she'd never thought she'd do, but had dreamed of all the same: she leaned in and pecked Soul on the lips. Then, so it wouldn't get too weird, exempting nothing but cheekiness, she turned into her Weapon Form, and cut the sweatiest and dingiest strands of Soul's hair, explaining that though she didn't want him bald, she at least wanted to get rid of some of his (fake) smell.

And when Soul ended up chasing her around the DWMA like a madman, Maka didn't even think about her darn test. And she thought that, once again, she wouldn't have changed a damned thing about her and Soul's current day together. They really were a weird sort of balance, the two of them together, but Maka knew they'd end up being the best formation of all.

And though it was nice to know how they always changed for each other, and came out better for it, it was also great to realize that some things would always stay the same. And the silly game they were playing now was very much the same. When Soul finally caught up to her, and Maka gave him a good-natured handshake, that, too, was nothing more than an evolution of their already established dynamic.

Though in all honesty, Maka knew that the new tingly sensation wasn't. It was something new and exciting. Someday in the future, Maka was almost certain she and Soul would end up together (and perhaps she'd always known), but even then they'd have the perfect balance; they would be: Soul and Maka, the two who were Partners in the best of ways. The best Partners who had ever lived.

**Author's Note: So… this probably has a plethora of mistakes. And I might go and check for them (again) later, but for now I'm going to post this as is. This story's just so dang long! And I sort of don't ever want to look at again. I. Just. Need. To. Go. And. Post. This. Gah!**

**And another thing I should probably quickly address: Soul was lying about the hygiene stuff. He's squeaky clean, okay? But he did what he did in order to tease/relate to Maka about something Robert Pattinson had said, and since Maka's apparently a Twi fan in this... you get the picture.**

**And wow. I'd never really thought I'd write for this fandom or pairing (though I love them!), but it was a lovely experience, and I might just do so again. This was just so much fun :D Though hopefully it didn't suck too much for you guys.**

**Also, I have to say I'm so happy to have posted my first completed anime fanfic. Woot!**

**Umm… what else to say? I wrote this story for me, as it was something I just wanted/needed to do. In some ways, this was a vent piece, but I hope you guys don't mind too much. I've realized lately that I'm writing too much for other people, and thinking of those who are reading my work only, and I can't do that. I can't write like that. It's suffocating that way, so for the first time in a while, I branched out and did something fun/new for me, and I'm glad I did. I hope you all enjoyed it somewhat, too ^_^ **

**I especially loved the Spirit/Maka part. That wasn't even supposed to happen, but it was an amazing addition. For various reasons it actually might be my favorite part of this story, so it was most definitely a pleasant surprise my muse hit me with. XD**

**One more thing: please don't kill me for the Twilight reference (or even comment on it in a review, if you're just going to trash it). Basically? The only reason I used it was because I needed something "cute, light, and fluffy" for Maka to be reading (that most people know of, so they wouldn't be left out of the joke). Nothing more. Though I did like some of the banter it led to from Soul and Maka, though! Anyway, this piece (for the most part), was supposed to be light and fun, and it just wouldn't have worked if I mentioned (the amazing, and my favorite series) Harry Potter or something like that, okay?**

**Anyway… if you've gotten this far, and enjoyed this (or even if you didn't), feel free to drop me a line. I'd love to know what you all thought, and know how I can improve. Thanks! Hope to "see" you all in the future.**

**-Shan **


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